Coin vending-machine



1. KOEHLER. COIN VENDING MACHINE- APPLMCATION FILED FEB. 18' 1918.

Patented Oct. 25, 1921.

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EDWARD J. KOEI-ILER, OF BRONXVILLE NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR T0 MESSINGER NEW YORK.

COIN VENDING-MACHINE.

Specication of Letters Patent.

Eat-elated Oct. 25, 1921.

Application filed `February 18, 1918. Serial No. 217,797.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWARD J. KOEHLER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Bronxville, county of vVestchesten and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Coin Vending-Machines, fully described and represented in the following specification and the accompanying drawings, forming a part of the same.

This invention relates to improvements in vending machines, and particularly to the type of machine set forth in United States I )atent No. 1,154,711, to George E. Messinger. Y

In vending machines of the type referred to, beneath the coin slot is a rotatable disk having a coin notch for receiving the coin. A coin detector bar is disposed transversely across the notch and has at its free end a detent adapted to engage a stop opening in the disk, a spring being provided to press the bar to this duty. The bar also carries a projection arranged to engage the coin as soon as the disk is moved. If a proper coin is inserted, its contact with the projection causes the bar to be held back in its neutral position, thereby allowing the machine to operate. Ifhowever, no coin is inserted, or one that is too thin, or pierced or the like, upon an attempted rotation of the disk, the bar is permitted to move under the force of the spring so as t0 cause the detent to enga-ge the stop opening and lock the disk and the machine against operation.

In the use of these machines it has been found possible to manipulate the detector bar through the coin slot in such manner as to hold it from properly performing itsV function, thus making it possible to operate the machine without the use of a proper coin.

It is the obj ect of the present invention to provide a vending machine possessing the advantages of the type of machine referred to and such that the detector bar cannot be manipulated through the coin slot.

With this, and other objects obvious to those skilled in the art, in view, the invention consists in the features, details of construction and combinations which will first be described in connection with the accompanying drawing illustrating a preferred embodiment of the invention, and then more particularly pointed out.

In the drawing- Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view, with parts in side elevation, of a vending machine Vconstructed in accordance with the invention; c

Y Fig. 2 is a cross sectional view taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1, looking in the direction of the arrow;

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 1 with parts removed;

Fig. 4 is a similar view with further parts removed;

Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken on the line 5 5 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 6 is a detail view showing the rotatable disk and detector bar removed;

Fig. 7 is a similar view showing the spring carrying plate removed; and

Fig. 8 is a view similar t0 Fig. 5 showing a modification.

Referring to the drawing, the vending machine includes a casing or housing 15 of suitable construction to contain the articles to be vended and the operating mechanism. The articles 16 are piled in a column in the upper part of the casing, the column resting on a curved plate 17 which forms, with the casing, a delivery chute 18, leading to the exit 19.

In the structure illustrated, the articles are pushed from the pile, one by one, as the machine is operated, by an ejector arm 2O carried on a plate 21 pivoted as at 22 to a bracket 23, and having a slot 24; of the form shown in Fig. 1. Riding in this slot to operate the plate is a pin 25 carried by an arm 26 mounted on a sleeve 27. This sleeve is journaled kin a bracket 28 and is mounted to rotate with a squared shaft 29 operated l by a hand-wheel 30 outside the housing. This slotand pin connection is such that rotation of the sleeve, by the shaft and hand wheel, causes the ejector arm to draw back a short distance and then make a forward ejecting stroke which pushes the bottom article of the pile into the delivery chute. To cause a return of the parts to their former position, the pin 25 has connected thereto a coil spring 31, the other end of which is secured to bracket 28.

Means is provided for preventing the operation of the machine except when a proper coin is deposited. As here shown, the casing is Cut away to form a coin slot 32, such that the coin remains partly visible until accepted or ejected. Beneath the coin slot, and mounted on the squared shaft 29, is a rotatable disk 34 having a coin-receiving notch`35 of substantially the diameter of a proper coin. This disk is locked against rotation except when a proper -coin is presented. In the present embodiment, secured to the casing as at 36 is a detector bar 37 mounted to extend transversely across the coin notch of the disk. This bar carries at its free end a detent 38 adapted to enter one or more stop openings 39. These stop openings are spaced from the shaft center the same distance as the detent.` At the opposite side of the notch and adjacent thereto, the bar is formed with a projection 40 adapted to engage the coin and located approximately the lsame distance from the shaft centeras the center of the coin when seated in the notch.

Carried by a supporting plate 33 which is secured to the casing and grooved to accommodate the various parts, as shown in Fig. 7, is a bar spring 42 adapted to press the bar 37 toward the disk. Normally the point oit' the detent rests on the disk adjacent vone of the stop openings 39. Should the handle 30 be turned without the insertion oi" a coin, as soon as the opening 39 comes opposite the detent, the latter is forced into'the opening by the spring and the machine is locked against operation. Vhen a proper coin is inserted, and the handle turned, as the disk starts to move the coin engages the projection 40 and this engagement holds the bar, against the spring, in its neutral position. The detent consequently does not enter the stop opening and the machine may be operated, the handle turning the shaftto operate the ejector arm as .above described. Should a coin that is too thin, or one that is centrallypierced, be inserted no such engagement with the projection 40 is made as will hold the bar in neutral position. As a. result the detent will enter the stop opening, thus locking the machine. /As the detent either passes the stop opening orenters the same before the coin is carried from under the side opening, the coin lis either accepted Vor rejected while still partly visible.

The invention includes means whereby the detector bar is inaccessible for manipulation through the coin slot. This may, for eX- ample, be accomplished by a covering or protecting plate. Although `capable ot various constructions, in the present embodiment, there is inserted, between the disk 34 and the supporting plate 33, a thin plate 43 which forms a back wall for the coin slot and has a protecting wing 44. This protecting wing, as appears more clearly in Figs. 4 and 5, is of a width to pass between the detent 38 and projection 40 and of a depth to extend to a'point slightly below the detector bar. Thus there is provided a covering tor the bar between the latter and the plane of the slot, so that the bar is inaccessible through the slot and can not be manipulated. i

It will `be seen that the `detector bar is mounted tar enough back from the disk to make room Jfor the protecting plate. In Fig. 8 is illustrated a modification which makes it `possible to mount the .bar closer to the disk and thereby reducethe height of 'the projection 40. In this form7 the bar, instead of being substantially straight, is bent as at 45, so that the protecting `plate is cleared and at 'the same vtime that portion of the bar between the protecting plate and the secured end is located nearer the disk, this permitting a reduction in the height of the projection 40. Y

It is believed that the-operation of the machine will be `clear from the Vabove without further description.

lVhat is claimed is:

In a vendingmachine, a coin slot, a rotatable disk having .a coin notch in its periphery and an opening in its face, a coin detector bar associated with said disk, a detent on said bar for engaging said opening to lock the disk, a projection on the bar for' engaging 'a proper coin, thereby holding the bar out ot' locking position and a protecting plate between the bar and the disk and having a wing portion covering the detector vbar between the detent and the projection.

In testimony whereot,I have hereunto set EDWARD .inonnnnn Vmy hand. 

